Georgia landed the sixth-ranked class, with the second-ranked class in the SEC behind
Alabama. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs once again brought in top-ranked players from
across the country.
Quarterback
After bringing in two high school recruits last season, the Bulldogs did not technically
sign a single quarterback this season from the high school level. With that being said,
Bryson Beaver, the 12th-ranked quarterback in the class of 2026 quickly transferred to
Georgia from Oregon. During his senior season, Beaver threw for 1,753 yards with 18
TDs and eight INT, leading his team to a 7-2 record before a season-ending hand injury.
After enrolling to Oregon on January 5, 2026, Beaver announced his intention to transfer
to Georgia on January 16, 2026. Beaver’s been thrown into the mix early in the Bulldogs’
spring practices. “He’s had some moments of really good throws, and he’s had some
moments of some bonehead decisions… My objective every day is to get him more reps.
Because they only get better is with reps. So, he’s going to be a good player,” said Coach
Smart.
Tight Ends
Todd Hartley once again had no problem bringing in an elite class. Georgia signed three
of the top 15 tight ends in the 2026 class. All three rank as four-star prospects on
247Sports. Kaiden Prothro ranked third among all tight ends in the nation and was the
highest-rated prospect in the group. Prothro became Georgia high school football’s all-
time receiving touchdown leader with 66 in his career at Bowdon High School. His
senior year included 27 of those touchdowns with 1,115 yards. Prothro also helped lead
Bowdon to its fourth straight Class A Division II state title. Lincoln Keyes, from Saline,
MI, is next on the list. Keyes was named the MVP of the UA Next Camp in Ohio in during his senior year, he totaled 749 yards and 12 TDs. In his junior year of track,
Keyes was part of a 4×100 team that qualified for the state track meet. Finally, Brayden
Fogle, from Lexington, OH, had 449 yards and seven TDs as a senior, leading his team to
a 9-2 record and a OHSAA Region 10 quarterfinal appearance.
Running Backs
Georgia brought in one high school running back in the 2026 class, Jae Lamar, from
Colquitt County high school. Lamar played in 10 games as a senior, amassing 1,015
yards with an average of 6.9 yards per carry. He was the 16th-ranked running back in the
nation, according to 247Sports. With Josh McCray’s career at Georgia coming to an end,
the Bulldogs decided to bring in bruiser Dante Dowdell, previously at Kentucky,
Nebraska and Oregon. Dowdell led Nebraska in rushing yards during his sophomore
season with 614 and appeared in all 12 of Kentucky’s games last season. He started two
games with the Wildcats, totaling 560 yards and three TDs last season with an average of
five yards per carry.
Wide Receivers
One of the most questioned positions heading into the 2026 season, wide receiver. The
Bulldogs brought in three four-star receivers out of high school, and a very promising
transfer prospect from Georgia Tech. Craig Dandridge, from Alpharetta, Georgia,
caught 62 passes for 1,193 yards and 18 TDs as a senior for Cambridge. As a junior, he
recorded times of a 10.84 and a 22.19 in the 100 and 200-meter dashes, respectively.
Ryan Mosley helped Carrollton reach the 6A state title game with 918 yards and 8 TDs
as a senior. Mosley has experience catching passes from now Colorado quarterback
Julian Lewis against Georgia’s top high school competition. James Coley brought in
another receiver from North Oconee, this time, it’s Dallas Dickerson. Dickerson fought
injuries during his senior year, only recording 213 yards and 3 TDs, but his 10.36 100-
meter time adds blazing speed to this room. Isiah Canion was a talented receiver this
past season for Georgia Tech, catching 33 receptions for 480 yards and four TDs. Now,
he’ll suit up in the red-and-black, adding an experienced piece to a wide receiver room
now missing Colbie Young, Dillon Bell and Zachariah Branch.
Offensive Line
With Stacy Searels transitioning into a senior offensive assistant role, Phil Rauscher is the
new offensive line coach for the Bulldogs. In collaboration, the two coaches brought in
five high school recruits and one player from the transfer portal. Ekene Ogboko, brother
of Georgia defensive lineman Nnamdi Ogboko, was one of Georgia’s two five-star
recruits in the 2026 class, alongside defensive lineman Valdin Sone. Ekene played both
sides of the ball in high school at left tackle and defensive tackle, helping lead South
Garner high school to the second round of the South Carolina’s Class 7A playoffs.
Tyreek Jemisons, from Paulding County high school, stands at 6-4, 325-pound and also
played both sides of the ball. Zykie Helton’s another prospect from Carrollton high
school. As a senior, like teammate receiver Ryan Mosley, Helton helped bring the
Trojans to a 6A state final appearance. Helton, at 6 -3, 300-pound has already received
some buzz about potentially earning early playing time for the Bulldogs. Graham
Houston, as a senior, was a member of Buford’s offensive line unit that helped lead the
Wolves to a 6A state title, defeating Carrollton. Houston primarily played left tackle for a
group that blocked for Buford’s 2,511-yard rushing season. Finally out of high school is
Zach Lewis. Lewis was a member of North Gwinnett’s run to the 6A state semifinals,
standing at 6-4, 290-pound. The lone portal lineman was TyQuez Richardson, from
Alabama A&M. Richardson is a redshirt sophomore from Atlanta and started all twelve
games for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs in 2025.
Defensive Backs
The Bulldogs brought in a haul of a class in the secondary. Caden Harris, from
Brownsville, Tennessee, was Georgia’s highest-rated defensive back in this class. Harris finished his senior season with 17 tackles, four pass breakups and one interception. Next
is Jordan Smith, who had a whopping 82 tackles, one pass breakup and one interception
for Houston County high school during his senior year. Listed as an ATH, or athlete, on
recruiting sites, Tyriq Green is a versatile addition to this defensive back group. He
primarily played safety in high school. Another member of Buford’s state title team,
Green had 45 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and two pass breakups. He also
rushed for 494 yards and 10 TDs. Green recorded an 82-yard house call to win the 6A
state title for the Wolves. “Anytime you can play at the highest level of football in
Georgia high school football, which is the best football in the country, and play on both
sides of the ball, it says you’ve got a pretty good coach. And it says you’re a pretty good
football player,” said coach Smart. Zech Fort is the first recruit on the list from
nationally known IMG Academy. Fort contributed to IMG Academy’s 9-0 season and
top-5 national ranking. He also played in both the 2025 Under Armour All-American
Game and Polynesian Bowl. Another recruit from another historically-talented high
school, St. Thomas Aquinas, is Justice Fitzpatrick. Justice, brother of Jets safety
Minkah Fitzpatrick, totaled 15 tackles, two interceptions, an impressive 12 pass breakups
and a forced fumble in his senior year. Blake Stewart went to Woodward Academy in
Atlanta. Stewart, in Woodward Academy’s 10-3 season and his senior year, amassed 47
tackles, including four tackles for loss, three interceptions, a pass breakup, a forced
fumble and a fumble recovery. The Bulldogs also hit the transfer portal hard for positions
in the secondary. Georgia brought in two cornerbacks and two safeties. The first corner is
Gentry Williams, from Oklahoma. Williams is entering his redshirt senior year, following a season-ending shoulder surgery after appearing in four games with 10 tackles
and two pass breakups. The second corner is Braylon Conley, who previously played at
Southern California. Conley is entering his redshirt junior year, after appearing in nine
games last season for the Trojans. He totaled 14 tackles, one pass breakup and a forced
fumble. Ja’Marley Riddle started the last 19 games for Eastern Carolina. Last season, in
13 starts, Riddle recorded 70 tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups for the
Pirates. Finally, Khalil Barnes spent his first three collegiate seasons with Clemson after
playing high school ball for North Oconee. Last season, Barnes had 46 tackles and five
pass breakups in nine starts for the Tigers.
Linebackers
“LBU” has a new set of both inside and outside linebackers. PJ Dean ranked as the 11th
edge prospect in the country. Dean’s from Clemmons, NC, and made 40 tackles,
including 18 tackles for loss and six sacks, as well as one interception, eight pass
breakups and two forced fumbles. Khamari Brooks is close behind Dean as the 17th-
ranked edge prospect. Brooks is another product of North Oconee. In his senior year, he
helped lead the Trojans to a 7-0 record before an injury took him out for the remainder of
the season. Nick Abrams II, from Baltimore, Maryland, had an impressive 84 tackles,
including 13 for loss, along with nine sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Elijah Littlejohn played for West Mecklenburg before transferring to West Charlotte for
his senior season. He helped lead West Charlotte to the NCHSAA Class 8A semifinals
with 55 tackles, including 23 for loss, nine sacks and a forced fumble. South Gwinnett’s
Terrence Penick Jr. was the final name out of high school for the Bulldogs. In his last season, Penick Jr. helped South Gwinnett to the first round of the GHSA 6A playoffs
with 94 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception. One of the biggest names Georgia landed
in the portal was former Auburn edge Amaris Williams. Williams enters his junior year
with two years of SEC experience under his belt. As a sophomore, he appeared in 11
games with the Tigers, amassing 16 tackles, including six for loss and two sacks.
Defensive Linemen
One of the crazier stories around the sport involves the recruitment of Valdin Sone. In
2023, Sone, originally from Sweden, was named the ‘Alpha Dog’ of the Road2D1
Combine and International Bowl by 247Sports. He spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons
playing for the Blue Ridge School, where at 6-4, 305-pound, he eventually earned his
fifth star as a prospect. Carter Luckie may sound familiar to some fans. The Norcross
high school product is the brother of current Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie. Carter, as
a senior, tallied 33 tackles, including eight tackles for loss and three sacks. Athens local
AJ Lonon Jr. committed to Georgia last August. The Clarke Central defensive lineman
totaled 51 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Another IMG Academy
commit comes at the defensive line position. Preston Carey played his final two years of
high school football with IMG Academy. In his senior season, Carey recorded 21 tackles,
including five tackles for loss.
Special Teams
The Bulldogs brought in two of the top placekickers and punters in the 2026 class.
Ranked as the No. 1 punter in the state of Georgia, Wade Register played for Trinity
Christian School in Dublin. He punted 21 times for a total of 980 yards, averaging 46.7
yards per punt. Harran Zureikat was ranked as the No. 1 placekicker in the nation by
KohlsKicking.com. As a senior, Zureikat went 19-for-20 on PAT attempts, 7-for-9 on
field goal attempts and had a long of 65 yards.